Fe

As a female, endurance athlete living at altitude, I have three strikes against me when it comes to Ferritin. A ferritin score indicates iron storage in the body. A normal range for Ferritin is between 8 and 250. For a healthy female athlete, I have been told I should shoot for 65 (20 being the ABSOLUTE lowest).

Iron is important because it is responsible for getting oxygen to my muscles and also for cell growth. A week ago, my Ferritin was at 11. Translation = I failed the test miserably!

I have blood work done at least once each year to keep me honest on just this sort of thing. With two months until the first races I won’t lie – this slip is not good. It makes me weak in my training and slow with recovery. I do have time, however to make amends.

Liver and onions, who knew that something so nasty looking, sounding and smelling could be half good. Okay, not quite half-good, but I will give it an honest 38% good. Liver is on the top of the list of iron-rich foods, lucky me. Oysters and beef round out the top three Heme (from animals) iron options. Soybeans, lentils and molasses are some of the highest Nonheme (from plant) choices.

Of course it is never as simple as just eating a steak - Iron bonds to Calcium, which inhibits the body from absorbing either element. There goes my refreshing glass of milk after dinner! Red wine contains tannins, which also decrease absorption (so that glass of red wine with red meat needs to be rethought too). Things like vitamin C and white wine help the body absorb iron but lets be honest, a glass of OJ just doesn’t cut it with steak!

I am at sea level this month, which will help me boost my Ferritin too (I hope). I will get re-tested upon my return home (October 15^th). Results from that to come – you can hardly stand the suspense, I know.

Thanks for reading,
Kate

BORN TO RUN

Born to run, a claim that I would not make about myself (although I do enjoy it). I have always thought of myself as a Big Dog (a don't jump out of the truck, take it easy on the pavement sort of deal). Over the years, my ipod, new shoes and good friends have helped with motivation on long runs until now...

After reading Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, I don’t know that I need them anymore. My last run was solo, without music, sans shoes and effortless. The shoeless part was only 10 minutes out of 90 but regardless; I have a new take on putting one foot in front of the other.

I usually prefer to relax with historical novels or straight up fantasy; leaving the training, nutrition and competition topics to real life. That said, this book covers all of the topics that I usually shy from AND, I loved it, recommend it and am writing about it. Translation: read it.

Christopher McDougall, a middle-aged guy trying to lose a few pounds by running a few miles each day, wondered why he kept getting injured. He went past drug cartel, into the canyons of Mexico in search of the secrets of the Raramuri tribe to find out.

Even if you are not a runner, this book speaks about the passion of doing something you love - about finding balance and having conviction. In fewer than 300 pages, this book had me (a self-motivated, lover of running and health conscious athlete) rethinking my nutrition, athletic equipment and gave me a mental overhaul. If nothing else, it is nice to hear another side of a much-discussed topic – running injuries.

As an aside I would like to note that Born to Run is my 7^th book completed since summer. It puts me exactly 6 books ahead of Simi, my roommate and competition in our reading club (and by club, I mean race). More to come on THAT in the future, I am sure.